Mail-bag-receiving apparatus.



J. K. LEEDY. MAlL BAG RECEIVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION HLEDHAY 9, I914.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

MAIL-BAG-RECEIVING APPARATUS. V

Patented Apr. 4., 1916.

Application filed May 9, 1914 Serial No. 837,528.

To all whom it may concern Beit known, that I, JosnrH K; Leroy, acitizen of the United 'States, residing at Highspire, in the county ofDauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in lVIail-Bag-Receiving Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to means for transferring mail from a moving trainto a stationary support or vice versa. 7

As its primary object, the invention contemplates. an improved andsimplified receiving apparatus, such in its nature as to be tripped oroperated by contact of the mail matter acted upon therewith. Theinventionas a further object aims to provide a yieldable contact plateor abutment, so supported and mounted as to positively yet releasablyretain the mail matter after transfer. r

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings,described in the following specification and then more particularlypointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part ofthis application. 1

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the receiving apparatus illustrating themanner in which the mail matter acted upon is moved into engagementtherewith, and F ig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectionalview of thetrip mechanism. 3

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 desi nates a mail car and 2the door thereof, the latter having the support means for the mailmatter acted upon arranged therein. Said support means, as illustratedherein, comprises a vertical rod or shaft 3, journaled at its respectiveends within the door frame, the support proper, designated as anentirety. by the numeral 5 being vertically adjustable upon the saidrcd, such adjustment being controlled through manipulation of a suitablethumb screw. 6. The said support proper 5 includes a handle 7, a shank 8and arms 9, the latter carrying resilient retaining fingers 10 betweenwhich ringsll at each end of the mail bag or pouch designated 12, arearranged, such arrangement as is obvious upon reference to the portingthe mail bag in a manner whereby the same may be forcibly released bycontact with the receiving apparatus'positioned in its path. Fasteningelements 13 may be provided to lock the mail bag support inoperativewhen not in use. i i i The receiving apparatus, as is apparent drawings,effectually sup g upon. reference to Fig. 1 is positioned directly inthe path of movement of the mail matter acted upon, said apparatus, inits preferred embodiment comprising a supportingstructure 1-1 to whichis attached as at 15-an arm 16, the .latter'being curved at. its freeend as indicated at 17, turn supporting a contact plate 18', alsocurved, which contact is normallymaintained in spaced relation to thesaid arm 19 interposed therebetween. To limit movement of the. saidcontact plate and to guide thesame during a transfer operation, Iprovide'retaining pins or bolts 20, thesame being rigid at. one end withthe the curved end in r .17 through-the medium of springs contact plateand passing through openings of the arm 17, the springs 19 embracing thepin in a manner obvious upon reference to Fig. 1 ofthe drawings.Centrally of the curved portionl? .of the arm, trip mechanism designatedas an entirety by the numeral 21. is arranged, said mechanism includinga hollow. casing 22 through the bore of which a trip pin 23 extends, thesaid trip being enlarged at one end asat 24, the enlargement beingnormally held projected or in the path of the mail bag 12 bv of a spring25 within the casing, said spring abutting at one end the casing walland atthe o posite end an annular flange 26 of the pin.

The contact plate 18 is rigid with the casing arm 29 at the pivot point28 and at its oppo-.

site end to an extension 30 of the arm 16.

Said arm 29 being fulcrumed intermediate 1,

means its ends as at 31 to the arm 16, it is apparent that the same,when released by disengagement of the trigger 27 with the casing 22,will move in the path of a circle from its fulcrum point 31 toward thecontact 18, and,

' as the mail bag acted upon is in engigement 7 with the accompanyingdrawings it will be noted that the action of the mail bag upon thetrippin 23 will force trigger 27 out of engagement with casing 22,permit spring 29 to move arm 29 from its fulcrum point 31 to in thismanner grasp and retain the mail bag between the said arm and thecontact 18; that the tension of spring 25 will return trip pin 23, themoment the pressure upon enlargementQ t is relieved, to its normalextended position, and, as the said trigger 27 is previously disengagedfrom the said casing, it is apparent that movement of arm 29 isunrestricted; and that by the provision of the springs 19 interposedbetween the contact 18 and the arm 16, the stress and strain incident tothe contact of the mail bag with the plate is to a certain extentrelieved.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention,illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of mydevice'will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact thatvarious minor changes in details of construction,

proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required,without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined inthe appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail bag receiving apparatus inan approximate rightangle to therigidarm ,60'

and the spring expanded, as and for the purpose set forth. 7

2. A mail bag receiving apparatus including a suitable support, an armrigid with said support, a contact plate disposedin the path of the mailmatter acted upon,rmeans carried by said arm and engageable with saidcontact plate to support the latter in spaced relation thereto, tripmechanism rigid with said contact plate and carried by said arm, acasing, a trip pin projecting forwardly of said contact plate, said pinbeing engageable with the mail matter acted upon, spring means withinsaid casing and engaging said trip pin to normally maintain the sameextended, av movable arm fulcrumed intermediate its ends to said rigidarm, and a trigger pivoted to said movable arm, said trigger. beingengageable with said tripv mechanism, said trigger being automatically r1 released by engagement of the 'mail matter. with said trip pin, andspring means connected to said support and to said movable arm to swingthe latter when released into engagement with the mail matter forholding the same against said contact plate, as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

F N B. Erma,

AARON D. KLUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of ZPatenta, Washington, D. O.

